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Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Cafe Culture

What’s Buenos Aires’ cafe culture like? Let’s just say lingering over a café con leche and a medialuna (a mini-croissant, for the uninitiated), while people-watching, chatting with friends or reading the newspaper is a daily, civilized ritual for most Porteños, or Buenos Aires locals. But sumptuous pastries and strong coffee are the tip of the menu iceberg for many of the famed capital’s cafes. From iconic, 100-year-old venues to trendy, hipster hangouts, Buenos Aires cafes offer inventive and traditional menus to delight all manner of cafe cravings.

Pani

Pani Cafe

You'll feel like a kid in a frilly candy shop upon entering Pani. This tiny cafe delights diners with displays of decadent desserts, wrought-iron decor, striped wallpaper and all kinds of colorful bric-a-brac that line the walls. Join the trendy crowd here and order a monstrous cinnamon roll or a savory Club Waffle: smoked ham, fried egg, cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado on a waffle. Yowza.

Las Violetas

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A Buenos Aires institution for more than 125 years, Las Violetas is a must-visit, but better come early; lines form well before the cafe's opening hour, as locals and tourists vie for a marble-topped table. Diners are treated to a breathtaking, curved stained-glass portico, gilded columns and servers donning white jackets. Arrive at tea time and order the María Cala, a platter overflowing with cakes, sandwiches and pastries, as well as fresh juice and tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

Cafe Tortoni

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A veritable Buenos Aires institution, Cafe Tortoni has been serving strong coffee and tasty snacks to stylish Porteños since 1858. The café’s classic decor of stained glass windows, rich woods and cool marble speak to its long history. Pro tip: Arrive early in the morning when locals start filling the tables; the place has turned into a tourist draw in recent years.

Decata

Just when you thought Decata's funky, thrift store-chic ambiance, strong-like-bull coffee and monstrous pastries oozing dulce de leche-filled delights were reason enough to come to Decata, we've found another one: the Caesar salad. In a city known more for beef-tastic entrees, enjoying a bona fide Caesar salad with copious, salty chunks of parmesan crumbled atop is a true revelation.